Latest news with #ParaAthletics
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
UK Government announces support for bid to host 2029 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships
The UK Government confirmed on Saturday that they will 'provide significant funding' and be 'backing a bid' to host the 2029 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships. First staged in 1983 and held biennially since 1993, the championships were last held in London in 2017 — five years after the Olympics and Paralympics came to the capital. This year's edition will be held in Tokyo, Japan, starting in just under two months. Advertisement The announcement, which is 'subject to funding from partners being confirmed,' comes on the day of the London Diamond League meet, the biggest one-day athletics meet, with the 60,000 capacity stadium sold out. They will work with Athletic Ventures, who are the bidder, UK Sport plus the Greater London Authority. The bidding process opened (for the 2029 and 2031 World Championships) late last month, and pre-qualification forms must be submitted before October 1 this year. In a press release Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it 'would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events.' He repeated the 'inspire the next generation' phrase which had been a tagline of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and said hosting 'would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs.' The bid includes a plan to host the Para Athletics World Championships in the same year, though a host city is undecided for that, and would be outside of London. Various British athletes had taken to social media in recent weeks to try and drive support for a Government-backed bid, which would require £35m. 'After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the World, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia,' said Jack Buckner, the CEO of UK Athletics, in a press release. 'This support will drive the sport on to new heights.' The 2024 Olympics in Paris were Great Britain's best in terms at a Games for total medals (10) since 1984 (16) and there were eight British records set. They outperformed even internal expectations and were the only nation to take a medal in all five relays: bronze in the men's 4x100m, the women's, mixed and men's 4x400m, and a silver in the women's 4x100m. A successful bid would build on next year's Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships, which will be hosted in Glasgow and Birmingham in the summer. (Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
UK government backs London bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships
The British government has announced its support of London's bid to host the 2029 athletics world championships. London hosted the biannual premier track-and-field event in 2017 at the London Stadium, which also held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games. The plan is to stage the 2029 worlds at the same venue. Saturday's announcement included the government's support of a bid for Britain to host the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships. Subject to funding from partners being confirmed, the government has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids, reflecting the UK's ambition to once again bring the world's greatest athletes to UK shores, it said in a statement. The announcement came with London hosting a Diamond League event on Saturday. This year's athletics worlds will take place in Tokyo in September. The 2027 edition will be held in Beijing. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he's delighted to support the bid. The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together, he said in a statement.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Starmer backs bid to bring 2029 World Athletics Championships to London
Sir Keir Starmer has said his Government will back a bid to bring the World Athletics Championships to the UK in 2029. Last month, more than 100 athletes including Keely Hodgkinson and Sir Mo Farah called on the Prime Minister to support the bid to bring the championships to the Olympic stadium in London. On Saturday, with London set to host a sold-out Diamond League event, Sir Keir confirmed he would support a bid for the championships and World Para Athletics Championships. He said: 'Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent.' If successful, the 2029 event would be the first time the World Athletics Championships had taken place in London since 2017. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the Government would provide 'significant' financial backing for the bids, subject to there being funding from other sources. It will also look to bid for the World Para Athletics Championships to be held outside London, with a host city to be announced later. Sir Keir said hosting the championships 'would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions'. He added: 'The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together.' Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics, welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment, saying hosting the events would 'drive the sport on to new heights' in the UK. Athletes also welcomed the announcement. Olympic medallist and 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr said taking part in the 2017 championships had 'lit a fire in me'. Double heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson said it would 'show what British athletics is all about', while para-athlete Zak Skinner said hosting the World Para Athletics Championships 'would be a huge statement — not just for our athletes, but for the next generation watching in the stands or at home'. A successful bid would add two more events to the string of sporting championships to be hosted in the UK in the next five years, including this year's Women's Rugby World Cup, the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026, Euro 2028 and the Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030. This year's championships will take place in Tokyo, while the 2027 edition will be hosted by Beijing.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government backs London 2029 World Champs bid
The UK government has confirmed its support for London's bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. If successful, the event would return to London Stadium, which last hosted the event in 2017. Ministers are also backing a UK bid for the World Para Athletics Championships in 2029, saying they are "committed to taking [it] beyond the capital with a host city to be confirmed in due course". In a statement the government said that "subject to funding from partners being confirmed, [it] has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids". The news is a major boost to the sport, with London Stadium hosting a sold-out Diamond League meeting in front of 60,000 spectators on Saturday. Kerr targets British record at star-studded London Diamond League In June more than 100 of Britain's most renowned athletes wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging the government to back London's bid to host the World Athletics Championships. It came after concerns that a bid could be at risk, with uncertainty over the estimated £45m that government was being asked for amid spending cuts, despite claims that the event would deliver £400m of economic impact. The championships were not referenced when ministers unveiled half a billion pounds of investment into sporting events in a spending review last month. However, talks have been taking place with UK Athletics and UK Sport, and Starmer said he is "delighted to support the bid". "Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent," he said. "Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes, but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions. "The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together." Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics, said: "After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the world, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia. This support will drive the sport on to new heights." Josh Kerr, 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist, said: "London 2017 was my first senior World Championships and it lit a fire in me. "Being part of a home team in that kind of atmosphere was incredible - it made me hungrier than ever to become a world champion and chase Olympic medals. "Having the government support to bid for 2029 and potentially bring that experience back to London would be massive. "It would inspire so many young athletes and give the sport the platform it deserves. "I'm proud to support the bid and hope we get the chance to show the world what we can do on home soil." UK plans bid to host 2029 World Championships
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Starmer backs bid to bring 2029 World Athletics Championships to London
Sir Keir Starmer has said his Government will back a bid to bring the World Athletics Championships to the UK in 2029. Last month, more than 100 athletes including Keely Hodgkinson and Sir Mo Farah called on the Prime Minister to support the bid to bring the championships to the Olympic stadium in London. On Saturday, with London set to host a sold-out Diamond League event, Sir Keir confirmed he would support a bid for the championships and World Para Athletics Championships. He said: 'Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent.' If successful, the 2029 event would be the first time the World Athletics Championships had taken place in London since 2017. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the Government would provide 'significant' financial backing for the bids, subject to there being funding from other sources. It will also look to bid for the World Para Athletics Championships to be held outside London, with a host city to be announced later. Sir Keir said hosting the championships 'would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions'. He added: 'The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together.' Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics, welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment, saying hosting the events would 'drive the sport on to new heights' in the UK. Athletes also welcomed the announcement. Olympic medallist and 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr said taking part in the 2017 championships had 'lit a fire in me'. Double heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson said it would 'show what British athletics is all about', while para-athlete Zak Skinner said hosting the World Para Athletics Championships 'would be a huge statement — not just for our athletes, but for the next generation watching in the stands or at home'. A successful bid would add two more events to the string of sporting championships to be hosted in the UK in the next five years, including this year's Women's Rugby World Cup, the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026, Euro 2028 and the Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030. This year's championships will take place in Tokyo, while the 2027 edition will be hosted by Beijing.
